Method of shoemaking



I Sept. 18, 1945. in R. IMQSICHERED 2,385,307

Mambo 0F SHOEMAK'ING Filed Jan. 13. 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet i Sept. 18, 1945.

METHOD onsnofimxma Filed Jan. 15, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 V I INVENTOR= BY Km /1 sir/m 'ATI'ORNEY R. M. SICHERE ,385,307

Patented Sept. 18, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,385,307 METHOD OF SHOEMAKING Ren Marc Sichre, Elmhurst, N. Application January 13, 1941, Serial No. 374,188

10 Claims.

This invention relates to methods of shoemaking.

One of the prineipa objects of the invention is to provide an improved method of making a shoe, which is economical of time and labor, requires less skill than other methods, and by which a neat, smooth shoe may be produced.

'Anotherprincipal object is to provide a method for holding a shoe upper in position while attaching an outer sole thereto, and releasing said upper from such holding means after said sole is in place.

Another object is to wholly or partially eliminate the necessity of using a last.

Another object is to provide a method of making a shoe which shall be economical of material.

Another object is to provide a method of making a shoe without the necessity of using an in sole.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be in part set forth in the following specification, and in part will be obvious therefrom without being specifically pointed out.

With the above and other objects of the invention in view, the invention consists in the novel method, as set forth in the claims hereof, certain embodiments of the same being illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in this specification. I

In the drawings, which form part of the specificationz.

Fig. l is a perspective view of a finished shoe, illustrating certain features of my invention, a portion being cut away to disclose the assembled relationship of the upper, welt, and outsole;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, of a portion of the shoe illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view, on a further enlarged scale, of a portion of an upper and welt, united by a single line of stitching;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a form and certain attached parts, which may be used in carrying out my method;

Fig. 5 is a top lan view of said form, on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view in perspective of the bottom or outer face of said form,illustrat ing two of the securing fingers, in differing positions;

Figs. 7 and 8 are sectional views, taken along the lines L4 and 8-8 respectively, of Fig 6, Fig. 7 has a shoe upper and welt added;

Fig. .9 is a perspective view of a shoe upper secured in place upon said form, before attachment of the outsole;

Fig. 10 is a plan viewof a welt having the contour of a shoe bottom;

Figs. 11 and 12 are views showing the slide and guide members hereinafter described; and

Fig. 13 is a side view of a stand for supporting the form while the upper is being placed and secured upon it.

My method may be carried out by the use of the means shown in the vaccompanynng drawings, orby the use of other means. Many of the principal features of the method itself will be clear from a description of the operation of the means illustrated in the drawings, accordingly this form of means and its operation will be first described. Reference is made below to certain other means which might be used, and a full description of the process is also there given.

In the particular embodiment of thesemeans which is illustrated in Figs. 4 to 13 of the drawings, I provide a form, comprising a plate 28, the lower or outer face or surface of which is substantially similar in size, contour and curvature to the bottom of a shoe which is to be made thereon. A reinforcing strip 29 is secured to the plate 28, and a pair of braces 32, shown as formed of tubing mounted in apertures 3| (see Fig. 4) in said strip, extend across the form. These braces serve both for reinforcement and for mounting the form in position upon the supporting stand shown in Fig. 13, and to transmit the exerted pressure necessary to unite the welt to the sole as-below described.

A top plan view of the form is shown in Fig. 5, illustrating the means for holding the shoe upper in place. Relatively short lengths of steel wire 33. extend at their outer ends into and over guides 34 which are secured to the inner surface of the plate 28, underneath respective slots 39 (see also Figs. '7 and 8). The outer ends of the wires 33 extend into these slots above the guides 34, and are accordingly hidden from view in Figs. 4 and 5. The inner ends of the wires 33 are respectively secured lengthwise to the side of one or the other of a pair ofmain wires 35 and 35', sliding in clamps 36 secured to the plate. The lower or lieelward end of each of said main wires is finished with a round fitting 31, by which the same may be moved to operate the device as below described. The left-hand wire, 35, is also guided at one portion by a length of tubing 38, secured in place by clamps 36'.

A portion of the opposite or bottom surface of the form plate 28 is shown in Fig. 6, showing the ends of two of the spring wires 33, which were hidden in Fig. by the guides 34, as were also the slots 39. Several serrated parallel lines 4| form a roughened strip for. engaging the welt, said lines being imprinted or impressed in the form in its bottom facing and located between the edge of the plate and an indicating line 42 which is placed near to the ends of the slots 39. This line may be painted on or produced in any desired manner and serves. as a visual guide for correctly positioning the upper on the form.

In the left-hand slot 39 in this Fig. 6, the wire 33 is shown with its end held down against the serrated surface of the plate 28 by means of a slide 40. In the right-hand slot of the same View, the slide 40 is in its inner position relatively to the slot 39, and the wire is accordingly in its released position, extending slantingly upward and outward, at a sufiicent distance above the plate to permit convenient insertion and adjustment. of the welt. or the edge of the shoe upper, under the same. This latter position of the wire isalsoillustrated in the sectional View Fig. 8.

The position of the wire shown in the left-hand slot of Fig. 6; is more particularly illustrated in the sectional view Fig. 7, in which also a portion of theshoe is shown.

Thev guide 34; is shown alone in Fig. 11 and the slide 43 in Fig. 12. It will be seen that the guide 3x3, which. is secured to. the plate 28 directly under the slot 39, isprovided with a widened recess if 3., and a. connecting. channel 44. When assembled, Wings 45 of the slide 46 (see Fig. 12), slide in the: side portions of the recess 43, being held in. place. against the inner surface of the plate the upper portion of the slide riding in the slot. The wire. extends thru channel 34 and into the: recess 43: and slot 39, its position being controlled by thevarying position of the slide relatiize toi boththe slot and. the wire. Referring to Fig-7; it. will. be seen. that the wire is bent at 49, and again. bent to. form a shoulder 48; when the shoulder 48. is depressed by the slide 40, the resiliency of the wire tends to arch the same slightly: between point 49 and its entrance into channel 44.

Inoperating the device, thewires 35 and 35' are pushed; forwardly, by applying any suitable tool against the rear fittings 31. This has the effect'of projecting all of. the wires 33 toward the outer ends, ofslots 39; but as the slides 40 as yet remain at the; inner ends of the slots, the wires arefree to bend outward at the angles 49, and they accordingly assume the position shown in the. right-hand slot in. Fig. 6.

After: thus releasing and protruding the Wires, the-form, is mounted on its support shown in Fig. 13,, the braces. 32 being engaged in semi-cylindrica-l' hooks. on: members 50 and 5|, which members are connected by a hinge 52 and are held normally in gripping position by a spring 53. The member 50, is supported upon telescoping and relatively rotatable base members 5! and 58, a set-screw 59 serving to hold the same in desired relativeposition, both vertically and rotationally.

lhe shoe upper is then placed on the form, the area to bez-coveredby the welt being indicated by the line/iii; As. each portion of the welt is drawn flat in its;co rrect position under one of the wires 3.3,; the slide lil: of that. wire is pushed outwardly in, its slot, untilit reaches the end of its stroke, the; slide by this motion bending down the spring wire 33 against the welt and holding it in the positionshown in Fig. 7-, in which-the wire'firmly claspsthat portion of the welt against the-outer surface of the form plate 28. The wire obviously lies nearly parallel with the surface of the welt, either upon said surface or sinking somewhat into the same, but no longer diverging angularly to any substantial extent. When this operation has been carriedout with each wire located around the form 28, the shoe will be firmly held in place in the manner shown in Fig. 9.

The sole is then applied to the welt by a pad or othermeans transmitting a light pressure exerted by any convenient. means. For this purpose the form may be removed from the stand shown, and mounted in any suitable means for the purpose. The members 50 and 5| may be released from braces 32 by manually compressing the lower arm of member 5| toward the upper base member 51.

When the parts have adhered sufiiciently to hold the welt and upper in position relatively to the sole, the spring securing means are released from within the form. This is done by moving main wires 35 and 35 toward the heel portion of the form, each of said wires thereby retracting its attached wires 33. The outer ends of these wires 33 are thereby withdrawn in a sliding motion between the sole and the welt of the shoe, toward the middle portion of the form, until the whole length of that part of each wire which gripped the welt has lost. any contact with the latter and is located entirely in the slot; the slide it, being in engagement with the shoulder 48 when in the outward or engaging position, is drawn backward by such shoulder when the wire is retracted, and as the same continues to bear downward upon the wire, the latter is bent downward" into the slot and at the inward end of the stroke the pressure of the slanting surface of shoulder 28. against slide 49 turns the wire downward entirely into the slot and free of any engagement or'interference with the shoe. It will be obvious. that this sliding withdrawal of the wire does not disturb the adhesion of the sole which has. been applied to the welt.

A heavier pressure is then applied to the sole, the weltbeing then held in the proper location on the form bythe serrations; after waiting the necessary-length of; time to: obtain the proper adhesion, the pressure. is. released, the pad removed, the form taken from the shoe, and various other operations performed to finish. the same, i. e., the quarter lining is lifted, the counter inserted, the lining is dropped back and glued, the shank piece placed and secured, a last is driven in as; in the usual second lasting operation performedin making turn shoes, the heel seat is lasted and tacked, unless the welt is extended around the heel seat, then the heel is attached and the. bottom. finished, or the: bottom may be finished priorto the sole-attaching operation.

After the completed shoe is removed from the form, and when; it is desired to place another upper thereon, the round fittings 3-1 are moved forwardly, thuspushing'the main wires 35 and 35 and their attached wires again into the position above referred to as beginning the cycle of operation, 1. e., the position shown as to one wire at the right of Fig. 6 and. also illustrated in the sectional View Fig. 8.

If preferred, th device might be constructed with. the various wires 33 connected to a single main 'wire, instead of to a pair of wires 35 and 35, the general construction and operation remaining substantially the same.

A finished shoe constructed as hereinabove and below described, is illustrated in perspective in Fig. 1, a portion of the same being cut away to disclose the assembled relationship of the upper, welt and outsole. In Fig. 2 is shown, on an enlarged scale, a part of the portion cut away in Fig. 1, to bring out more clearly the upper 2|, united by stitches 22 to the welt 23, which is cemented to the sole 25, and both covered by the sock lining 21. In Fig. 3 is shown a much enlarged fragmentary portion of an upper 2|, stitched at 22 to the welt 23, thus illustrating their relative position prior to the sole-attaching operation and prior to adjusting the upper on the form.

In the past it has been customary, in manufacturing pre-welted shoes, to make the upper, sew a welt to its outside periphery, insert a last into the upper, stretch said upper on the last, either by hand or with the wipers of a lasting machine, tack down th welt to keep the upper in its stretched position until the leather has lost its elasticity, then apply the outsole and stitch it. In carrying out my method, it is unnecessary to stretch and secure the upper to the last, or wait to unite the sole and the welt until the upper and welt have assumed a permanently stretched condition.

In practicing one form of my method, I take a strip or welt of leather, or. other suitable material, which may have its under portion precoated with the proper cement or adhesive, skiving one of its margins, hereafter called the inner edge, the opposite edge being called the outer edge. I then stitch this welt 23 (see Figs. 1, 2 and 3) to the bottom margin of the upper 2|, said margin being turned toward the inner edge of the welt, and the row or rows of stitching 22,

as the case may be, uniting at the same time the upper, the welt, and reinforcing members such as box toes or the like, if any are used in making said upper. Said stitching may be placed as close as possibl or practicable to the outer edge of the welt, the upper being out large enough to allow its lower portion, attached to the welt, to extend under a last bottom if a last is introduced into the shoe after the sole is attached to the welt. Many variations may be made, however, in the form, proportions, and manner of attaching the welt to the upper, or, if desired, the welt may be omitted, the upper 2| being extended to reach toward the inside of the shoe as far as the welt would go if any were used, the upper being in that case skived, and stiffened at this point if desired by several rows of stitching or other means. If a lining is used in said upper, it would have to be cut shorter or longer than the upper itself, to avoid the coincidence of both edges.

When the upper and welt are united together, I mold the toe portion over a last or on a form or mold duplicating the toe portion of a last. After the box toe has hardened sufiiciently (a very short time being necessary when thermoplastic box toes are used, or box toes softened and hardened by chemical reactions), I place the upper on a form as above described, and operate the clasping means to secure the upper in place as already made clear, the form being temporarily mounted upon its supporting stand shown in Fig. 13. The sole is then applied to the welt by a pad or other means, transmitting a light pressure transmitted by convenient means for that purpose; the fittings 31 are then pushed toward the heel portion of the form, withdrawing the wires 33 from any contact with the welt and into the slots; more pressure is then applied,

and successive steps above mentioned carried out as already referred to.

By the use of an additional line either outside or inside of the line 42 shown in the drawings, it is possible to use the same form to make shoes of the same size, i. e., length, but of different widths.

Whilethe upper is held on the form by the spring wires 33, and after the sole is placed on the welt, the form and shoe can be transferred to a sole attaching machine or conveyor, omitting if desired the use of a forepart pad pressing against the vamp of the shoe. The tendency of such a forepart pad to crush the vamp of a shoe, makes impracticable the manufacture of certain styles which can be made by my invention, in which such a forepart pad is not needed; and by the use of my invention and the omission of the forepart pad, bows or other ornaments may be attached to the shoe, by machine if desired, while the vamp is still fiat, before attaching it to the sole, instead of attaching them by hand after completing other work of making the shoe.

In a. variation of my invention, I use, instead of a straight welt, a strip 55, shown alone in Fig. 10, cut or formed in the shape of a shoe bottom, and having the same thickness as a Welt, also having its inner edge skived. After coating the same lightly with a little rubber cement or other chosen adhesive on the opposite side of the facing to that which I propose to unite to the sole, and coating in the same manner and with the same adhesive a very narrow margin of the outside or top of the bottom edge of the upper, I then turn the said top or outside of the upper inside and the lining side or inside to the outside. I place the welt or facing 55 on the form 23 against the serrated portion 4|, adjacent the lin 42, holding it in place by clasping the spring wires 33 thereon, and then put the upper around the form, pressing the cemented outside margin of said upper upon the similarly coated strip of the welt or facing, and distribut ing evenly the toe fullness of said upper around the toe portion of the welt; then removing, the welt and upper from the form, I secure them permanently together by means of stitches. I then turn the upper outside out, and replace it on the form 28, and proceed as explained before when referring to a straight welt, with the exception that in this modification the toe portion will be automatically lasted or molded when inserting the last in the so-called second lasting operation. It should be kept in mind that the upper is cut with a proper allowance forstretching, as is usually done when cutting uppers for prewelted shoes.

When making open toes by my invention, it is not necessary to mold the toe part by either manner above described, and when making shoes having open backs, it is not necessary to use any last, because if the upper is correctly patterned it will stand by itself without using any artifice, such as lasting, to palliate any ill-fitting of said upper.

In manufacturing men's shoes by my process, I prefer to use a heavier and wider welt; in that case the upper margin should obviously be stitched to the center portion or substantially the center line of said welt. A serrulated wheel passed over the exposed portion of this welt will simulate the usual appearance of shoes ordinarily stitched, without having their stiffness, the heaviness of the welt giving a more solid or thick appearance to the sole.

When using a welt such as herein referred to, it will be advantageous to make several cuts or nicks in the skived inside portion at its toe part, to avoid the formation of heavy wrinkles at that point.

In another modification of my invention, I may cut a piece of paper or other suitable material in the same shape as the bottom of a last, pasting its bottom part lightly to the outside face of a form such as 28 (which may have also the reinforcing and supporting means above described, but need not in that case comprise the mechanical welt-clasping means) I then apply on said paper a light coating of rubber cement or other proper adhesive, along a margin parallel with the outer edge of the welt, spreading a coat of the same adhesive also on the side of the welt opposite to that which isto be attached to the sole, then putting the form carrying said paper within the pre-welted upper, adjusting and pressing the coated top portion'of the welt against the similarly coated margin of the paper, applying the sole, previously coated with a suitable adhesive, to the bottom portion of the welt, also coated with the same adhesive, and thereafter removing the form. If a stitched shoe is preferred to a cemented one, it is possible to stitch the sole to the welt in the usual manner, then pulling the piece of paper out. In removing the shoe from the form and the paper, the paper may be pulled off with the shoe and thereafter removed therefrom, or the paper may the bottom face adhere partly to the form and thereafter be removed from it after the shoe has been taken off. The shoe is then finished as referred to above, or as desired.

As a variation of the version just above described, I m-ay use a strip of the same width as the welt, having each side coated with the same or a different suitable adhesive, one of its sides to be stuck to the welt and the other side to the form.

In another form of my process, after coating the edge of the sole and a margin of the upper in the same manner, but with a lighter or weaker adhesive, I unite them together in the manner described above and secure them permanently by means of stitches extending thru the margin of upper and the sole stuck to it.

Qthe' mechanism for temporarily securing a shoe upper on a form, by means releasable from or thru the inside of the shoe, after attaching the sole, may be used in carrying out my method Inasmuch as my method may be used either for holding a welt or for holding an edge of an upper without a welt, ences in the claims hereof to securing an upper shall include securing a welt, and vice versa, unless obviously otherwise intended.

Many of the advantages of my method have been referred to above, and need not be here repeated; further advantages will be obvious to those skilled in the art of shoemaking without being specifically pointed out.

I do not limit myself to the details of the methodand means set forth in the foregoing specificaion and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, as the same are merely illustrative and refer to and set forth only certain embodiments and ways of carrying out my invention, and it is obvious that the same may be modifiedwithin the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A method of making a shoe, whichcomprises the steps of providing a shoe upper which is accurately proportioned for size and attaching allowances without surplus, temporarily securing a lower marginal portion of said upper to the outer face of a plate which approximately duplicates the bottom face of a shoe, attaching a sole to said marginal portion, and releasing said upper from attachment to said plate by operation from within said upper: said steps being carried out without the use of a last and without simultaneously exerting pressure on or causing tension of the upper portion of said upper.

2. A method of making a shoe, which comprises mechanically clasping, by means extending parallelly with and upon the surface held thereby, a lower marginal portion of a shoe upper, accurately proportioned for size and attaching allowances without surplus, to the outer face of a plate which approximately duplicates the bottom face of a shoe, attaching a sole to said marginal portion, and releasing said upper from attachment to said plate by operation from within said upper: said steps being carried out Without the use of a last and without simultaneously exerting pressure on or causing tension of the upper portion of said upper.

3. A method of making an unlasted shoe, which comprises temporarily securing the welt of a pre-welted unlasted shoe upper to the outer face of a plate which approximately duplicates of a shoe, attaching a sole to said welt, the means of attachment of the upper to the plate being interposed between said welt and said sole, and thereafter releasing said welt from attachment to said plate by operation from within said unlasted upper.

it is intended that referpressure, and thereafter 4. A method of making an unlasted shoe, which comprises mechanically clasping the welt of a pre-welted unlasted shoe upper to the outer face of a plate which approximately duplicates the bottom face of a shoe, attaching a sole to said welt, the clasping means extending between said welt and said sole, parallelly with the surfaces thereof, and thereafter releasing said welt from saidclasping attachment to said plate.

5. A method of making a shoe, which comprises the steps of providing a shoe upper which is accurately proportioned for size and attaching allowances without surplus, temporarily securing a lower marginal portion of said upper to the outer face of a plate which approximately duplicates the bottom face of'a shoe, applying adhesive and placing an outsole in position, applying pressure to said parts, discontinuing said releasing the upper from temporary attachment to said plate: said steps being carried out without the use of a last and without simultaneously exerting pressure on or causing tension of the upper portion of said upper.

6. A method of making a shoe, which comprises temporarily securing the bottom marginal portion of a shoe upper to a form which approximates the size, contour and curvature of a shoe bottom, applying adhesive and placing an outsole in position, the means of attachment of said mar ginal portionto said form being interposed between said marginal portion and the outsole, applying pressure to said parts, discontinuing said pressure, thereafter releasing said marginal portion from temporary attachment to said form while, remaining in position thereon, and then applying a higher pressure.

7. -A method .of making an unwelted and unlasted shoe, which comprises pressings, lower marginal portion of a bottomless upper which is accurately proportioned for size and attaching allowances without surplus, directly against a marginal portion of a sole without simultaneously exerting pressure on or causing tension of the upper portion of the upper, holding said marginal portions in contact and initially securing the same together, thereafter releasing said pressure, and thereafter permanently securing the sole and the upper together.

8. A method of making an unlasted shoe, which comprises pressing a lower marginal portion of an upper against a marginal portion of a sole, by means within said upper, without the use of a last and without simultaneously exerting pressure on or causing tension of the upper portion of the upper, holding said marginal portions in contact and initially securing the same together, releasing said pressure, and thereafter permanently securing the sole and the marginal portion of the upper together.

9. A method of making an unlasted shoe,

which comprises temporarily securing a lower marginal portion of an unlasted shoe upper to the outer face of a plate which approximately duplicates the bottom face of a shoe, attaching a sole to said marginal portion, the means of attachment of the upper to the plate being interposed between said marginal portion and said sole, and releasing said upper from attachment to said plate by operation from within said unlasted upper.

10. A method of making an unlasted shoe, which comprises successively temporarily securing different parts of a lower marginal portion of an unlasted shoe upper to the outer face of a form which approximately duplicates the lower portion of a shoe, attaching a sole to said marginal portion, the means of attachment being interposed between said marginal portion and said sole, and simultaneously releasing said parts of said upper from attachment to said form by operation from within said unlasted upper.

RENE MARC SICHERE. 

